


Change is Upon Us

by slytherin_queen_heir



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:41:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24981754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slytherin_queen_heir/pseuds/slytherin_queen_heir
Summary: The war is brewing at Hogwarts, while the Golden Trio is in their 5th Year. Emilia Morgan, also a 5th Year student, is caught in the middle of it, unsure of what to do. As the war develops, we follow her story, and how it develops over the course of a hard time.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Pansy Parkinson, Hermione Granger/Fred Weasley, Neville Longbottom/Luna Lovegood, Ron Weasley/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 1





	1. The Knight Bus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The war is brewing at Hogwarts, while the Golden Trio is in their 5th Year. Emma Morgan, also a 5th Year student, is caught in the middle of it, unsure of what to do. As the war develops, we follow her story, and how it develops over the course of a hard time.

It was the beginning of your 5th year at Hogwarts, and you could not be more terrified. You paced the floors of your room, hoping there would be some way you could escape the dreaded school. You began thinking of different scenarios you could come up with. Maybe you could fake an illness? You knew your mother would never believe that, so you scrapped that idea. Just then, your sister came bursting into your room. 

"Sissy, let's go!" She says, grabbing your arm and almost dragging you down the stairs. Once the two of you reach the bottom, you begin to feel a bit queasy. You eventually sit upright, shaking the trip down the stairs from your memory. You turn to face your sister. 

"Penny, what was that for?" You ask her, confused out of your mind. She turns excitedly to the table and points. You glance from her eyes to the direction she's pointing in. Your eyes reach the spot, and you see a pile of letters on the table. A smile spreads across your face as the two of you rip through the letters to find the ones for yourselves. As you're going through them, you notice your sister's pile growing large, but yours is nonexistent. The two of you finish and she looks up at you. 

"Sorry Emma. I know how much you wanted your friends to write you." You shrugged, walking over to the corner to lug your trunk by the door. Your mother and father walk in the kitchen, heading towards your sister. 

"Good morning our dear Penny! Did you sleep well?" Your mother asks her, and she happily nods in return. The two of them turn to you, your sister burying her face in the letters. "Hello Emilia." Your mother says coldly. You weakly smile, walking to the fridge to get yourself a glass of orange juice. Your parents ignore your actions, sitting down next to your sister. 

"Are you excited for your first year at Hogwarts?" Your father asks. She nods as your father pats her on the shoulder. 

"That's good! You should be excited. Slytherin will be lucky to have you." Your mother says, turning to you. You gulp, preparing for another go at your house. "Unlike Emma, who just had to be sorted into Gryffindor. A blood traitor is what you are." She finishes, your fists balling up. You take a deep breath, gaining your courage. You step forward to face your parents. 

"I am proud to be a Gryffindor!" You say, resulting in laughs from your parents. They gasp for breath as you continue. "I am not a blood traitor! It doesn't matter what house I am in at Hogwarts! None of them care, they all want to be friends with me and talk to me!" You yell, them laughing even harder. You close your eyes and unball your fists. "It only matters that I'm in Gryffindor when I'm here at this house. I can't even bring myself to call it home." You say, walking over to the door. Your sister gasps, watching you grab your trunk. "I don't care what you two think, I'm leaving." You storm out of the house, slamming the door behind you. You don't know where you're going to go, but you keep walking anyways. 

After a few hours, it begins to get dark. You don't want to roam around in the dark, especially in these times. You slump down onto the nearest bench, head in hands. You sit upright and wipe your face, wanting to turn back time. You can't believe you just left home, leaving a warm bed, food, a roof over your head, and your sister. You begin to think about your sister when a bus sweeps into view. You look up, eyes glued onto the speeding bus. It abruptly stops, directly in front of you, almost luring you towards it. Getting up off the bench you are seated on, you head for the mysterious bus. The doors open and a man steps out, dressed in a conductor outfit. He shakes your hand and takes your trunk.

"Hello Miss, my name is Stan Shunpike and welcome to the Knight Bus. I will take care of your trunk. Go on now." He says, gesturing to the inside of the bus. You hesitate briefly, before stepping onto the bus. You only see beds, no seats. You look back at Stan. "Go on, go on. Pick a bed and hang on for the ride." He says, smirking a bit. You sit down on the nearest bed, hanging onto the windowsill. He looks back at you, then shouts at the driver. "Step on it!" The driver pushes the pedal down as hard as he can, the beds shooting to the back of the bus. You struggle to keep control, but you eventually get your grip again. The bus makes a sharp left turn, throwing you against the wall. You flip over the bed onto the floor, another bed slamming into your back. As the bus straightens out, you get back onto your feet, only to have it make another sharp right turn, whipping you against the left side of the bus, making your head spin. The bus suddenly stops, and you slam into the barrier between you and the driver. You fall back onto the floor, then stand up. Stan turns to look at you, not even phased by the horrific bus ride. "All right, off you go." He says, pushing you out the doors, throwing your trunk beside you. You turn around to face your stop. The Leaky Cauldron sits in front of you, awaiting the adventure.


	2. The Burrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The war is brewing at Hogwarts, while the Golden Trio is in their 5th Year. Emma Morgan, also a 5th Year student, is caught in the middle of it, unsure of what to do. As the war develops, we follow her story, and how it develops over the course of a hard time.

As you slowly walk into the Leaky Cauldron, your trunk dragging behind you, the room keeper meets you halfway across the pub. You sigh, issuing a reaffirming pat on the shoulder from her. 

"Hello, dear. You're here for a room I suppose?" She asks, you nodding. She smiles back at you, taking your trunk. She hands you a key. "Alright, then. Room 7. Just down the hall, last one on the left." She says, you smile, thanking her, and walk to your room. You hear the floorboards creak as you take each step. You reach your room, unlocking the door, stepping into it. You don't know what to expect. You close the door behind you, facing the room. There's just a small bed in the corner and a nightstand with a lamp directly next to it. At the foot of your bed, your trunk. You notice a note sitting on your trunk. You pick it up and begin to read it aloud in a slight whisper. 

"Dear Emma, 

We are sorry about what happened with your family, it must be hard knowing you're not welcome at home. Because of these events, we have invited you to spend the rest of your summer at our home. I know it may not be much help, but at least you'll have a warm bed, a roof over your head, and a family to keep you company. We will talk about future arrangements at the end of the summer. Meet us at the front of the Leaky Cauldron at 4 the next day. See you soon!

Best wishes, 

Molly Weasley"

A smile spreads across your face, happiness welling inside of you. You can't believe you've just been invited to spend the rest of the summer at the Weasley's! You were best friends with Ron, you two are inseparable. You get ready for bed, excited of the next day ahead of you. 

You wake up easily, like this never happened. You stare at the ceiling and think, did this really happen or was it all a dream? You slowly climb out of bed to sadly realize it was reality. It sets it, and you get a little teary. You wipe them away and stand up tall, gathering courage to keep going. Taking a deep breath, you rummage through your trunk to find an appropriate outfit for today. You settle on a pair of dark blue jeans, an orange polo, and your favorite pair of trainers. You brush your long, blond hair, pulling it back into a nice French braid. You put in your favorite gold studded earrings, and head out. You grab your trunk by the handle, locking your room in the process. The room keeper meets you at the door. 

"Thank you for staying, miss! Hope you have a wonderful summer!" She says, taking the key from your hand. You smile back at her, waving as you walk away. You check your watch, and it's exactly 4 o'clock. Standing there awkward as can be, you wait for the bunch of redheads to save you. You blink for a split second, and there they are! It look as though they just apparated here! You run up to Ron and give him a huge hug. 

"Oh how I've missed you!" You tell him. He chuckles in response, patting you on the back. He lets go, Ginny and George coming in for a hug now. They squeeze you tight and you almost can't breathe. They let you go and George ruffles your hair. 

"Emma! How nice to see your sweet face!" Molly says, her and Arthur hugging you tightly, like family. They let go as Molly kisses you on the crown of your head. You smile back at her, then turning to Fred. Something is weird with him, but you can't put your finger on it. You two reluctantly hug, and it feels as though it lasts forever. The two of you awkwardly pull away from the hug, and Fred gives you a half smile. You shoot one back at him, hoping that'll make things better. You two have always been really close, so it doesn't make any sense! George seems to notice this silence, and he walks up and pats Fred on the shoulder. 

"Well, are we ready to go?" He says to Molly, who nods in return. 

"Right we are, George!" She says, scurrying away. You quickly catch up to her. 

"Where are we going?" You ask her. She giggles and takes your hand. 

"To the Burrow, darling!" She says, you remembering the note. You're so excited you could hardly stand it! You fall behind, waiting on Fred and George to catch up. They do, and you stand right in the middle of them. 

"So, how are my two favorite twins doing?" You say to them, George laughing in response. 

"We're doing quite well, Emilia. Why don't you tell her about our inventions Fred?" He says, nudging Fred in the process. Fred scowls at him, then speaks. 

"We've made a line of pranks for our joke shop, but don't tell our mum. She'll have a fit!" He whispers, you giggling in return. His cheeks blush a pinkish color, but you brush it off. 

"That sounds quite fun!" You say, thinking of some way to further the conversation. "Would I be able to get in on it?" You ask Fred. He gulps and glares at George. 

"Of course you can! We'd be lucky to have you." He says, you smiling as big as the sea. You give thanks to George. 

"Oh, thank you! This may just be the best summer of my life!" You say, a new bounce in your step. You look over at Fred, who seems like he wants to say something. "Fred, are you alright?" You ask, him nodding in return. You shrug, growing even more confused by the redheaded twin. The group ahead of you abruptly stops, you slamming into the back of Fred, who had just now gotten ahead of you. He whips around, grabbing your arms. 

"Emma!" He says, holding onto you for dear life. You almost fall to the ground, but with yourself in his grasp, you couldn't fall. He lets go of you, brushing off your shoulder. You brush off your jeans. 

"I'm alright, Fred." You say, him smiling in return. Molly turns around, opening the car door. 

"Alright, everyone in!" She says, you looking into the back of the car. There isn't much room, let alone room for 5 people. First it's Ron, then George and Ginny, then Fred, and finally, you. You notice that the interior of the car seems to have expanded as more people piled into the car. It must've been an expanding charm. Arthur shifts the gears, and then steps on the gas pedal. 

"Mr. Weasley, why are we taking a car?" You ask him. He responds rather quickly. 

"It's so no one gets suspicious as to who we are, in these dire times." He says, darkening the mood. 

"Oh." You say, leaning your head against the window, staring at the road outside of the car. You jerk awake as a car door slams shut. You notice everyone gone from the car, except you, Fred, and Ginny. The door on the left is open, so people must be getting out. Ginny and Fred get out of the car, Fred waiting for you. He holds his hand out to you, offering to help you out. You take his hand as he helps pulls you from the car. "Thank you." You say, him nodding back. 

"You're welcome, Emma." He says, you following them into the front yard. This isn't like your house, the mansion that it is. Your house is black both inside and out, with echoes roaming each hall. You are afraid of your own house, but here, you feel safe. Just by looking at it, it seems so much better than your old house. It's a light colored wood on the outside, tall and lanky, but sturdy enough to hold a family this large. You walk in through the front door and are amazed. Everything around you is orange, red, yellow, and earthy tones of brown. The house is warm and small, but cozy enough to where you feel at home. You walk through the kitchen into the living area, where everything is the same colors and styles as before. Molly turns around to face you. 

"Well, it's getting quite late. I'd say we head off to bed." She says, almost forgetting you're there. Ron clears his throat, gesturing to you. "Oh yes! I almost forgot you were here! Ron and Ginny share a room, so do George and Fred. We have Bill and Charlie's Empty room, so you can sleep there!" She says, you gathering your trunk and heading up the stairs. "Emma, first door on the right!" She says, you nodding in return. You get to the bedroom and open it up. It is bare, except for a bed with lots of blankets on top of it, and a pillow. The walls are a tan color, and the blankets are all shades of orange, red, and mustard yellow. You smile and set your trunk down at the foot of the bed. You go through your clothes and things, setting your books on the table in the corner of the room. You place your clothes in the dresser you just noticed, making it look nice. You sit down on your bed, exhausted. Instead of falling asleep in your clothes, you change into your pajamas. You then climb into bed, falling asleep fast.


	3. Diagon Alley

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The war is brewing at Hogwarts, while the Golden Trio is in their 5th Year. Emma Morgan, also a 5th Year student, is caught in the middle of it, unsure of what to do. As the war develops, we follow her story, and how it develops over the course of a hard time.

You wake up to the smell of bacon, knowing Mrs. Weasley must be cooking some for breakfast. You climb out of bed, throwing on your clothes for the day. You have a pair of brown corduroy pants, a blue sweater, and the same shoes as the day before, your favorite trainers. Quickly brushing your curly hair, you make your way downstairs. As you're running out of the door, you collide with Ron, who is hurrying down the stairs as well. Before you know it, you're flat on the ground. Ron grabs your hand and helps you up. 

"Emma! I am so sorry!" He says, making sure you're alright. You laugh, knowing how odd he's being. 

"I'm alright Ron! I promise!" You say, the two of you walking down the stairs. Molly notices the both of you excitedly. 

"Emma! Ron! Thank goodness you made it down here. Just in time for fresh bacon." You take a seat next to Ginny, her passing you the plate of bacon. You thank her, taking off three pieces of bacon, even though you're starving. You pass the bacon to Ron, who just sat down next to you. He notices you only have three pieces on your plate, but doesn't say anything. He grabs three off of the tray as well, passing it to his father. You then take some ham and potatoes, but only half a scoop. Ron sees this as well, and takes the same amount. His father then takes the tray, looking over at Ron's plate. He grows confused. 

"Ron, why do you have so little on your plate?" He says, to which Ron shrugs. 

"Guess I'm not that hungry." He says, glancing over at you. You smile and pat his arm. 

"Thank you." You whisper. He smiles at you. 

"You're welcome." He says, you two digging into your food. He finishes his quickly, but you don't really eat, but just poke around at it. He nudges you, and you cower down and start eating. Ron grows more confused by your actions, but you don't care to explain. As everyone finishes their breakfast, you get up to clean the plates up. Molly just stands there, bewildered. 

"Emma, what are you doing?" She asks, you turning around, almost dropping the plates. You smile briefly, then speak up. 

"Sorry, it's just habit." You say, her taking the plates from your hands. 

"Oh it's alright! Our guest shouldn't have to clean up." She says, Ginny helping her at the sink. You sit back down into your chair as Ron pats your shoulder. Arthur gets up with Fred and George, resulting in the two of you rising as well. As Ginny and Molly finish up, the seven of you make your way to the fireplace. 

"Wait, where are we going?" You ask, Ron answering your question. 

"Diagon Alley, of course! For our school supplies." He says, you nodding in understanding. As you make your way to the fireplace, Molly turns to you. She begins to speak, but you answer her question immediately. 

"Don't worry, Mrs. Weasley. I know how to use Floo Powder." You say, her sticking out the bowl for you. You grab a handful, walking into the fireplace. "Diagon Alley!" You shout, being engulfed in green flames. You travel through the pathways, until you see the exit to Diagon Alley. You walk out of the system into Diagon Alley. As you walk out, you brush off your shoulder, since a bit of ashes had lumped on there. You feel someone slam into your back, and you fall over, them on top of you. It is none other than Ron Weasley. 

"Second time today, Emma!" He says, helping you up. You smile and give him a hug, holding on for what seems like forever. You two finally let go as the rest of the family approaches. "I'm sorry." He whispers to you, and you shrug it off. 

"It's alright Ronald." You say, following the rest of the family. Mrs. Weasley always walks at an unruly pace, you almost running to keep up. 

"First stop is Flourish and Blotts, to get your books." Mrs. Weasley says, leading you guys in the correct direction. You, Ron, and Ginny lag behind, getting there a few seconds after the rest of the family. As you three walk into Flourish and Blotts, Ginny looks worried. 

"I have to go get my book list from mum, I'll be right back!" She says, skipping away to Molly. You and Ron are left alone to roam the store and find your supplies. You spot the Monster Book of Monsters, and you grab it. Ron tries to do the same, but it wriggles out of his grasp. You laugh and grab the book for him. 

"You have to stroke the spine!" You say whilst in a fit of laughter. He chuckles and then takes it from you, stroking the spine. It calms down and settles in his grip. "There you go!" You say, going to grab your next book. You see both the Divination and Arithmancy books next to each other, and grab them both. Ron looks confused. 

"Aren't those classes at the same time?" He asks, you giggling. 

"I'm just preparing for what I want to actually take. I haven't decided yet." You say, him understanding. You both reach for your next book, Defense Against the Dark Arts. Your hands accidentally brush, leaving a shock going through you. You feel your face turn hot as he hands the book to you. You put it in your arms as he grabs his book. After you grab all of your books, you go to pay. 

"That will be 37 Galleons, 14 Sickles, and 3 Knuts." The cashier says, you rummaging through your pouch. You only have 35 Galleons, but the others you have exactly. You sigh and drop your shoulders, thinking of which book you could put back. Ron sees your dilemma and comes to your rescue. 

"Here's the 2 Galleons." He says to the cashier, his hand resting on your shoulder. The cashier smiles and takes the money, pushing the books towards you. 

"What a gentleman! How cute you two are, such a wonderful couple." The cashier says, you two looking at each other. He rips his hand off your shoulder as you step away from him and put your hands at your sides. 

"Oh, sorry. We're not a couple." You say, the cashier nodding. You take the books, struggling to hold all of them. Ron notices your troubles, taking a few of the books off of your load. "Thanks." You say, him nodding. You two catch up to the rest of the family, ready to head back. 

"Ah! There you two are!" Mrs. Weasley says, counting everyone to make sure they're there. "Alright everyone, let's head home." She says, walking the family to the fireplace. As the seven of you pass through the Floo Network back to the Burrow, you realize that you've had the best day in quite some time. Getting ready for bed, Ron pokes his head through the door. He smiles at you. 

"Goodnight Emma, sleep well." He says, you smiling back at him. 

"You too, Ronald. I'll see you in the morning." You say, lying down in the bed. You quickly fall asleep, exhausted from a day full of activity.


	4. Bad Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The war is brewing at Hogwarts, while the Golden Trio is in their 5th Year. Emma Morgan, also a 5th Year student, is caught in the middle of it, unsure of what to do. As the war develops, we follow her story, and how it develops over the course of a hard time.

The pain hits you another time, but even harder than the last. Your cheek burns, almost like it's been set on fire. Your mother stands before you, holding her hand up high. You have no choice but to cower down and take the beating. She begins to scream at you, making you wonder why she ever even kept you. 

"You are a disgrace to this family! You don't deserve the food we put in front of you! Why couldn't you just be a Slytherin like your family! You blood traitor!" She says, slapping her hand across your face once more. To your dismay, your sister just stands there, watching you, as your father does the same. You speak up, not knowing what it will give you. 

"I don't care if I'm a blood traitor! At least I don't have to spend any more time with people like you! I'm proud to be a Gryffindor!" You shout, as your mother grows angrier. She slaps you across the face one more time, this one sure to leave a bruise. 

"Then you're not my daughter." She says calmly, while storming away. You jolt awake in a cold sweat, breathing rather heavily. You feel tears streaming down your face, trying to keep them quiet so you don't wake up anyone. Suddenly, someone bursts into the room, quietly closing the door behind them. They step into the moonlight, and you recognize their face. 

"Ron?" You whisper. "What are you doing here?" He walks closer towards you, standing in front of your bed. 

"I heard a creak come from your room, and then I heard some crying. I wanted to make sure you were okay." He says, sitting down on the bed, tears still going down your face. He doesn't say anything else, but waits for you to talk. 

"I'm fine. You can just go back to sleep." You whisper, not wanting to cause him any trouble from his mum. He shakes his head. 

"I'm not going anywhere." He says, oddly making you warm inside. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asks, you nodding your head. You begin to tell him everything. 

"I didn't live in a good household before coming here. My entire family line is Slytherin, and I'm the first to stray away from that. My parents were super disappointed in me, and often called me a blood traitor. But, at first, they didn't do me any harm. In the past few months, every time I had mentioned something about Gryffindor, my mother would slap me across the face. Each time it happened it got more severe, and my dear sister didn't think to do anything of it. It progressed from that, and soon they were starving me. I only got a few pieces of burnt toast a day. It was devastating, knowing that my own family didn't love me like they should. And all because I'm not a Slytherin. That's why I didn't eat very much yesterday morning. I wouldn't have been able to keep it down, since I've been eating so little for the past few months." You say. He just sits there, not knowing what to do. Then, you see a tear slip from his eye, in the moonlight. He brings you into a hug. 

"I didn't know it was that terrible. I don't understand how people can be that cruel. That's even worse than Harry, and those are your birth parents." He says, not knowing what else to say. You begin to finish, and tell him your dream. 

"It was a bad dream, a nightmare, that I just had. It was about one of those times. I had just gotten a letter from you, Harry, and Hermione, and I opened it in front of my parents at the dinner table. I read it aloud, since my sister wanted to hear it. When she realized who it was from, she ripped the letter from my hands, tearing it up. She got up from the table, screaming horrible things at me. 'Blood traitor' and 'disgrace' and 'not my daughter'. I didn't think it could get any worse than that, but it did. She then raised her hand up, getting ready to slap me, and did. Hard across the face. She then continued to do it, until she got to 20, which was the number of sentences in the letter. I thought she was done. I truly did. But as I was getting up to walk away, she shouted at me, but I can't remember what she said, until after the slap. I remember only this one sentence, 'then you're not my daughter'. And that really did happen, but it was just a bad dream. I'm alright." You say, trying to convince him you're fine. He still doesn't budge, even after you've turned away from him. He turns you back around, tears still streaming down your face. 

"Emma, you're not alright. I don't care what mum says, I'm staying here." He whispers. You begin to talk, but he cuts you off. "No. Don't even try to make me leave. It's not worth it." He says, curling up next to you on the small bed. He's oddly warm, but it calms you down even more. You don't know how to feel about this, but you soon drift off to sleep, comforted in Ron's arms. 


	5. Morning in the Burrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The war is brewing at Hogwarts, while the Golden Trio is in their 5th Year. Emma Morgan, also a 5th Year student, is caught in the middle of it, unsure of what to do. As the war develops, we follow her story, and how it develops over the course of a hard time.

You wake up slowly and gently, the sunlight pouring into the bright colored room. You feel cold, noticing the blankets aren't on you anymore. You glance over your shoulder to find Ron missing, not sure where he went. You assume he went back to his room to get dressed, but you could be wrong. You rise reluctantly from the bed, body aching. Looking at the calendar, you realize that today is your first day of school. A smile spreads across your face, you running to the dresser to pack everything up. You finish packing, then get ready for the day. As you're brushing your teeth, Ron enters the bathroom. 

"Hey Ron! How'd you sleep last night?" You ask, his face contorting in confusion. His brows furrow. 

"What do you mean?" He asks, genuinely confused. You're taken aback. 

"What? Don't you remember? The dream?" You say rather loudly. He shakes his head. 

"I don't know what you're talking about, Emma." He says, exiting the bathroom. You shake your head and spit, turning on the faucet. You wipe your face with the rag nearby, then set off for your room. You pick out a pair of khaki pants, a light blue t-shirt, and again, your favorite trainers. You comb through your hair, placing it in your trunk. You close it up, then make your way downstairs. You first see Mrs. Weasley making breakfast. 

"Good Morning Mrs. Weasley!" You say, excited to see her. She turns around and smiles, holding out her arms. 

"Emma! Glad to see you made it through the night." She says, hugging you tightly. You wonder what that means, but ultimately deciding not to say anything. You turn to the table, where a half asleep Ginny sits, eyes barely open. You plop down next to her. 

"Morning Ginny!" You shout, resulting in her falling off her chair. You laugh, helping her up. 

"That was not funny, Emma." She says, trying to hold back laughter. You smirk. 

"You have to admit, it was a little funny." You say, her laughing in response. You shake your head and get up again, sitting down next to Fred. He immediately tenses up once you sit down, but you shrug it off. "Morning Fred! How'd you sleep?" You ask. He doesn't even turn towards you to respond. 

"I slept well, thanks." He says, resulting in a slap from George. The two begin to whisper, but you can only pick up a few words. 

"Don't-"

"Hey-"

"You- her- nice-!"

"But-" That's all you can pick up when Mrs. Weasley arrives with the food. She places trays of potatoes, ham, eggs, and bacon in front of everyone, all of you digging in. Well, except for you. You pick up a few pieces of bacon, eating them slowly. You stop when Ron finally decides to joint the rest of you, looking rather odd. You tilt your head at him, and he scowls at you. You don't understand what was wrong, so you just forgot about it. 

After everyone finishes their breakfasts, You helped Fred clean up the dishes while Ron, Mrs. Weasley, George, Mr. Weasley, and Ginny loaded the car with everyone's trunks and pets. You audibly sighed, Fred picking up on it. 

"What's wrong?" He asks in a whisper. You sigh once more, wanting to tell him. 

"I just don't know if what happened was real or not." You say, trying to keep your voice down. Fred motions for you to go on, so you do. "Last night, I had what I thought was a really bad dream, and then I woke up crying. This is the part I don't understand. Ron came in to help keep me calm, since he heard me crying. But, he's saying he doesn't even remember it! Was it all a dream?" You ask, Fred tensing up again. You look at his face, and almost drop the plate. It wasn't Ron, it was Fred! "It was you!" You say, him almost dropping the plate. 

"Yeah, no shit it was me!" He whisper shouts. You hope he isn't really mad. "I had to pretend I was Ron so you wouldn't freak out on me." He says, shaking his head. You begin to tear up again. 

"I didn't know! It's hard to see in the moonlight, and I really thought you were Ron! It was dark!" You say, hoping he understands. He finally looks at you, a smile spreading across his face. You try to continue, but he cuts you off. 

"Emma, it's alright! I just liked spending time with you. And maybe next time it won't take place in the dark." He says, walking away. He looks back at you and winks, you feeling your face become hot. Ginny then walks in. 

"Emma, the car's ready!" She shouts, you running out to get into the car. You squeeze yourself in beside Ginny and Fred, shaking your head. Mr. Weasley starts the car. 

"Alright, everyone! Let's be on our way!" He says, slamming on the gas. You guys shoot forwards, heading towards Kings Cross in London. You try and fathom your next adventure at Hogwarts, but all you can do right now is enjoy the ride.


	6. Hogwarts Express

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The war is brewing at Hogwarts, while the Golden Trio is in their 5th Year. Emma Morgan, also a 5th Year student, is caught in the middle of it, unsure of what to do. As the war develops, we follow her story, and how it develops over the course of a hard time.

The family finally arrives at Kings Cross, all of you piling out of the car. Ginny almost falls directly on top of you, making you stumble. Both Ron and Fred come to your rescue, grabbing one of your arms. They pull you up, but in different directions. You sputter. 

"Guys! You're going to rip me in half!" You shout, Ron letting go, making all of your weight shift onto Fred. He steadies you, brushing off your jeans. "Thank you." You say, him nodding in return. Ron gives him a glare, Fred shrugging it off. Ginny giggles as she grabs your hand and pulls you with her, racing to the platform. As you guys arrive, you see the rest of the family trailing behind. You two wait for the rest of them, then run through the barrier. First, Ginny, then Ron, and Finally you, Fred, and George. As you make your way to the train, Mrs. Weasley hands you your trunk. 

"Have a fun time everyone!" She shouts, blowing kisses to each and every one of you, yourself included. You get on the train and meet up with Hermione. She pulls you into a big hug. 

"Emma! I've missed you so much! How was your summer?" She asks, you smiling at her. You decide not to tell her the whole truth. 

"It was pretty good! I spent it at the Weasley's." You say. She smiles and sits down. Just then, Harry and Ron enter the compartment, sitting down opposite the two of you. Ron whispers something to Harry, who then turns to you. 

"Emma, do you mind if Hermione and I switch seats?" He asks. You shrug. 

"I guess not." You say, Hermione shrugging towards you as well. Harry sits down next to you, trying to make small talk. 

"Emma," He whispers, trying to keep his voice down. "Thank you. Ron really wanted to sit next to Hermione." He says, you becoming confused. 

"Why?" You whisper. He rolls his eyes. 

"Isn't it obvious that he fancies her? I thought he would've told you, with how close of friends you two are." He says, you in shock. Why did he never tell you this? It isn't that big of a secret to hide, especially from your best friend. You roll your eyes, then sigh. Harry is now curious. "Are you upset about that?" He asks, you shaking your head profusely. Harry raises an eyebrow at you. 

"I'm not upset about it! He's just my best friend! It'd be like if you and Hermione dated!" You whisper, him pretending to gag. You giggle and he starts to whisper in your ear. 

"I love 'Mione and all, but she's just my best friend!" He says, you nodding your head profusely. You look at the two of them, who are in deep conversation. Ron seems to be listening to Hermione talk about SPEW, Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare, something she created last year. You smile, turning back to Harry. 

"Harry, you know I don't fancy you, right?" You say, growing worried. He bursts out laughing, so loud you think the whole train can hear it. You start to laugh too. 

"I know, Emma. I know." He says, patting you on the shoulder. All of a sudden, George bursts into the compartment. He looks around until his eyes settle on you. 

"Emma, we need you." He says, grabbing your arm and pulling you out of the compartment. You scream goodbye to your friends, trying to keep up with George. He stops at his compartment, then pushes you in, locking the door from the outside. You turn around, looking to see who else is in here. Your eyes lock onto Fred, who's trying to avoid your gaze. You smirk and sit down next to Fred, as close as you can to him. He still avoids your eyes. You nudge him with your elbow. 

"Ow!" He shouts, wincing in the process. You instantly feel bad. 

"Sorry." You say, genuinely sorry. He finally turns to face you, and he seems upset. Your brows furrow in confusion. "Fred, what's wrong?" You ask, him rolling his eyes. 

"What do you mean? You know exactly why I'm upset." He says, standing up quickly. He now towers over you, his shadow casting over your sight. 

"I really don't know what you're talking about." You say quietly, trying not to make anyone upset. He shakes his head. He throws his hand over his head, and you flinch. He looks down at you, your eyes growing with fear. He instantly regrets what he did. Your breath catches in your throat, you become more and more afraid. 

"Emma-" He says before you burst into tears. His eyes grow wide as he sits down next to you. You can barely get your words through your sobs. 

"I'm sorry! I don't know what I did! What did I do? I'm sorry I flinched!" You say, him pulling you into a large hug. You sob into his shoulder, and he forgets why he was mad. Nothing can compare to seeing you hurt, especially from him. He takes a deep breath. 

"You didn't do anything wrong, it's something George told me, and he was wrong. I'm sorry. Please don't cry." He says, making your tears subside. Your last tears fall onto his shoulder, and you pull away from him. You see his shirt soaked with your tears, and you laugh. His brows furrow in confusion. 

"I soaked your shirt!" You say between laughs. He starts laughing with you, enjoying the time with Fred. You suddenly realize something. Fred seems to have realized the same thing. 

"George!!!" You both shout, running out of the compartment. You find yourself in Lee Jordan's compartment, watching George laugh harder than he ever has. He then realizes your puffy, red eyes and Fred's wet shoulder. He stops laughing, and begins to speak. 

"What happened, you two?" He says, Fred rolling his eyes. George presses a bit more, so he speaks. 

"I accidentally did something, but we fixed it." He says, keeping the details between the two of you. You look at him as if to say 'thank you', to which he mouths 'you're welcome'. You two sit down across from them, staying silent. George pulls Fred into the hallway, away from you. You sigh as Lee turns to you. 

"So, what happened?" He asks, to which you smirk. You're contemplating whether or not to tell him, but you do anyways. As you finish, Lee gasps. "He got that mad? Why?" He asks, to which you shake your head.

"I have no idea! I bet George put something stupid in his head." You say, shaking your head at George. The two of them come back into the compartment, George then pulling you out into the hall to talk. You pinch his arm. 

"What was that for?" He asks, rubbing his arm. You roll your eyes. 

"What in Merlin did you tell him?" You ask, growing impatient. George smirks at you, making you even more impatient. 

"I just told him that I thought you fancied Ron, and that's why you called him that." He says casually, like it's no big deal. 

"Seriously?" You shout. "I can't believe you did that! And for the record, I fancy him, not Ron!" You scoff and go back into the compartment, sitting down on the seat across from Fred. You don't know if he heard you shout the last sentence, but you don't really care. You just want this ride to be over with. George comes back into the compartment, the four of you sitting in silence for the rest of the ride to Hogwarts.


End file.
